Marieke Hardy grew up in the public eye. The granddaughter of prominent Communist author Frank Hardy, daughter of TV writer parents Alan and Galia and a child star, she came of age in the full glare of the media – something that’s alien to most of us. Her escape, she told Future Women’s Social Club in Melbourne last week, was books.

“I grew up in the public eye which is a pretty raw and vulnerable way to grow up, especially when you’re still testing out who you are,” Marieke said. “I was definitely nose in books from a young age. I used books as most kids do as an escape. I was an only child and home was a bit strange, so I would read at the table, in the car, in bed. Books are an escape but also a great pleasure for me now too.”